Beauregaerd Lothaen
King Beauregaerd III (Lothaen) is King of Bruhinn, High Regent of the Bruhinn Royal Council, Lord of Snow Anchor, Lord of Thraehir, and father of Mikoa and Grumdar Lothaen. He is almost 50 years old and has been King for 28 years. At the beginning of the series, he is in excellent health and is expected to rule for many years to come. He is popular in the central and southern provinces of Bruhinn, and is relatively unpopular in the northern provinces. He is sometimes derisively called the "Willow King" in reference to his southern affinities. His rule has been characterized as favorable toward rural farming districts and unfavorable toward urban merchants and guilds. During his reign, the Bruhinnen army has declined significantly in size and readiness. He presided over no wars or major military conflicts and has no desire to expand his holdings. He seeks peaceful relations with all of Bruhinn's neighbors, including the Tazitan to the south, and chose not to intervene in the Jeceau Civil War to the north. Appearance: '''He is tall for a Bruhinnen, which makes him about average height for a man his age. He has long, curling dark hair and a bushy mustache. The King's mustache is so prominent that it has become a fashion trend among nobles and merchants throughout Bruhinn. Beauregaerd has light brown eyes -- typical for a native Bruhinnen. He has a mild Bruhinnen accent. He wears the mark of the Lothaen royal family, the Lover's Eye, as a tattoo on the back of his right hand. He wears a white kerchief tucked under his collar -- a "widower's scarf" -- signalling that he is in mourning for his departed wife. '''Personality: He is known for his sense of humor, his distaste for high ceremony, his love of liquor and tobacco, and his careful avoidance of political entanglements. He is well-mannered and offers tobacco to all his guests. He was married to Callandra Pelltober of the Willowdown Province of Bruhinn for less than five years before she died during childbirth. He has pursued no other women since. He grants his two living children, Mikoa and Grumdar, significant autonomy in their personal matters. Lately, they rarely accompany him -- choosing instead to travel and live independently. He is a good listener and is sometimes called "the Quiet King." Lord of Snow Anchor: The Lothaen family estate is located near the town of Snow Anchor, in central Bruhinn. It is the King's summer home. In Book 1, King Beauregaerd and his royal guard disappear while defending Snow Anchor Palace from a ga'arg attack. Mikoa goes looking for him, but his fate is still unknown at the end of Book 1. Lord of Thraehir: The fortress of Thraehir looms over the city of Bruhinn itself, in the western mountains of the kingdom. It is the seat of the throne and home to the Theraen royal family. King Beauregaerd typically winters there, where he presides over the Bruhinn Royal Council. Controversy: Beauregaerd's marriage to Callandra Pelltober was mildly controversial at the time. The Pelltober family earned its wealth by trading illegal sugarwine in southern Bruhinn about 80 years ago. Sugarwine has since been legalized, and the Pelltober family is popular and highly respected in the Willowdown Province. Beauregaerd's marriage was seen as a minor insult to the more "purebred" northern nobles. That controversy has mostly subsided since Callandra's death. Beauregaerd has been criticized as being slow to react to the fall of the Jeceau Empire, Bruhinn's powerful neighbor to the northeast. As of the beginning of the series, however, he has begun visiting and entertaining Thlossian nobles -- a savvy move to improve Bruhinn's relations with the up-and-coming Holy Thlos, which will likely fill some of the power vacuum left behind by the Jeceau collapse. It is also unclear what will become of the former Jeceau Empire, or who among the Jeceau lords will finally rise to replace the lost Emperor. Thus, Beauregaerd has wisely avoided alliances with any of the claimants to the Jeceau throne -- choosing instead to stay neutral. Most recently, Beauregaerd negotiated with King Wellinger of the Holy Thlos (whom Beauregaerd calls "high regent Wellinger") for his daughter and heiress-apparent, Mikoa, to marry Wellinger's son Goddard. In Book 1, Mikoa's wizardry and the Fall of Snow Anchor become the greatest challenges of Beauregaerd's reign. Rather than hand his daughter over to the Ardent for Trial and execution, he secretly helps her escape, potentially costing his own life.